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Crazy passion! That´s what my mum told my dad when he bought this car, but I wasn't complianing (I just can't wait to get my liscence). This is a car for you and your friends to enjoy, driving through small roads, with curves, where you can enjoy the aceleration, the safe feeling with the 4 wheel drive, and the way you can get inside of the curves, and feel the speed in the wide, empty country roads. It´s like special big go kart,that when you drive all the road sensations you feel then in your hands. The engine sounds are just great, just pure music to the ears, the equipment it´s great, and really you are wishing to have the free time to appriciate this marvellous piece of machinery. I think this is really the last autenthic Porsche Carrera 911, the new one has a different engine, inside looks like a Boxster, it´s more comfortable, different sound, so it´s not a pure one like the 996. If you are thinking to buy one 996 Turbo,I highly recomend it ,because the power 408 cv it´s like the M 5, but different. Like all these type of cars do not take when there is raining because the big tires (285 rear) can give you a surprise. The maintance should be made on the Porsche agents. I will not say how much I paid but was a good price and I think these cars they always keep a high value because of the quality.

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Despite a heritage of which some Royal Families would be proud, Porsche’s engineers are only interested in talking about the future. That’s why they grimace when it’s suggested that the new 911 recaptures the spirit of the early cars. Instead, they assert, the new car is ‘going forward to the purist.’ It’s a strange expression, but a revealing one. It suggests that after a difficult start to the ‘90s, Porsche is clear about its future direction, feeling self-confident and happy with its image. But it’s also a tacit acceptance that the last version of the 911, known as the 996, was a little too sober. This has been exaggerated, particularly by those who confuse competence with character, but there’s no denying that it failed to stir the soul like its predecessor, the 993. The new car, we are promised, will be different. It will be beauty and the beast. Five minutes into the drive and its clear that Porsche has been as good as its word. There’s a clear stretch of road and a chance to squeeze the accelerator. The Carrera 2 Cabriolet squats, the nose rises a little and 911 throws itself at the horizon. This car is quick – Porsche’s normally pessimistic test drivers report a 0-62mph time of 5.2sec for the soft-top and 5.0sec for the coupe – but the real sense of speed comes not from the rushing scenery, but from the sound of the exhaust. At low revs it emits a low woofle, which takes on a rich, deep timbre as the revs rise. Then, with the needle passing 5300rpm, it adopts a harder edge as the engine breathes more deeply and calls for maximum thrust. From here until the 7500rpm red line, it emits a wonderful, deep-throated roar that’s emotive but cultured. It’s a sound that’s pure Porsche and demands repetition. Only the V8 fitted to the Ferrari 360 Modena and the 6.0litre V12 powering the Lamborghini Diablo sound better on the road. The technicians freely admit that the more vocal note is deliberate. Their customers complained that the 3.4-litre engine fitted to the old car was simply too quiet. Having spent the price of a house on one of the finest powerplants ever made, they weren’t been allowed to hear it. It was like being handed ear defenders at the Last Night of the Proms. Porsche’s acoustic engineers took note and have tuned the engine to produce more bass tones and increased the decibels. It’s a roaring success. However, the changes to the engine are much more than aural. The 3.4-litre flat six has had its stroke increased, so that it now displaces 3.6-litres. This increase is accompanied by the introduction of VarioCam Plus, a variable valve system designed to increase the power output while lowering fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. The system, which debuted in the 911 Turbo and GT2, provides maximum thrust only when required, which explains the audible ‘step’ at 5300rpm. On paper, as on the road, it’s hugely effective. The peak power output is now 320bhp at 6800rpm, up from the 296bhp of the old car, and the torque output has risen from 258lb ft to a healthy 273lb ft at 4250rpm. Top speed of the coupe has risen from 174mph to 177mph. Meanwhile, the combined fuel consumption of a manual Carrera 2 has improved from 23.9mpg to 25.5mpg To complement the increase in power, Porsche has subtly restyled the 911 to give it a more aggressive, purposeful stance. Many of the cues come from the recently introduced Turbo, like the restyled headlights and the more pronounced rear bumper. Other changes include new air intake openings in the nose and two oval tailpipes at the rear. This being a Porsche, the changes also had to serve a practical benefit. Lift has been reduced by 25% at the front and 40% at the rear, improving high speed stability. Porsche is also proud of its new alloy wheels. The optional 18in rims & #8211; favoured by most 911 owners – are a delicious 5-spoke design and reduce the unsprung mass by an impressive 10.6kg, to the benefit of the ride and handling. The cabriolet version also benefits from a glass rear window, which replaces the crude plastic screen fitted to the old car. The changes inside will be spotted only by the most dedicated 911 aficionado. There’s a new glovebox to complement the already ample storage space and a pair of gloriously over-engineered cup holders emerge from the fascia. The new three-spoke wheel is a delight to hold and the instruments, which now feature a trip computer, have been pinched from the Turbo. The rest is familiar: comfortable seats, an excellent driving position, ample boot space and token rear seats. Porsche also offers a vast array of trim options, allowing owners to personalise their cars. Some of these are of questionable taste: one of our test cars featured a mint green interior, complete with leather clad air vents. Suits you sir. Thankfully, the business end of the 911 experience is not subject to the whims of taste. The dampers have been altered for the new car and the rear tyres are wider, but the dynamics remain largely unaltered. The fluency is familiar, with the steering and gearchange blending to a wonderful symphony of poise and precision. It’s a remarkably easy car to drive hard and flatters mistakes, but it still rewards the enthusiast. The brakes warrant particular praise, stopping the 911 with a carefully modulated ferocity. Nobody does road car brakes better than Porsche. That the Carrera combines this handling with a supple, composed ride quality and excellent motorway refinement helps it retain its status as the everyday supercar. Cabriolet occupants suffer little buffeting from the wind, and its structure is much stiffer than the rival Jaguar XKR soft top. Two and four wheel drive versions of the both the Cabriolet and Coupe versions a re available, dubbed Carrera 2 and 4 respectively. The 4 is a little more surefooted, especially in bad weather, but it costs £3600 more and the extra hardware robs boot space. A Tiptronic gearbox is also available, but is likely to cost £3300, has five ratios to the manual’s six, and blunts performance. The list price of the new car is unlikely to differ greatly from the current model, so expect it to cost from £56,000. The 911 remains the consummate all-rounder. Happy to pootle through town on a wave of torque, it comes alive on a country road and blends a range of attributes that none of its rivals can match. The revisions to the facelifted car have only enhanced its appeal and restored some of the spirit on which the 911 legend is built. In going forward to the purist, Porsche has gone back to the top.